Are you and your car winter-ready?
It's that time of year again. Summer is a distant memory, the days are shorter, the nights seem longer and both are definitely colder. The lid of the wheelie bin is covered in hailstones, and Carol Kirkwood is forecasting snow. In fact, you may already be thinking of pawning your iPhone so you can afford to put the central heating on for a few minutes.
In winter, we become even more reliant on our cars. Destinations that would be a 10 or 15 minute stroll away in summer become a reason to layer up and reach for the car keys.
Even in the south of the UK, where winters are forecast to become warmer and wetter as our climate shifts, one thing that has become very predictable is unpredictable weather. Ask any farmer. So even if the long-term trend is warmer, snow and ice are very possible, and some weather experts are predicting that winter 2025/2026 is going to be the coldest in a while.
Preparation: the car
It's always a good idea to prepare yourself and your car for the changing seasons as each time of year has its quirks, inconveniences and hazards. In winter, the conditions we need to prepare for are cold, ice and snow.
A breakdown in winter can be a real problem, especially in harsh conditions and in isolated areas. This is especially true for drivers or passengers who may be elderly or disabled. The obvious precaution to take is to ensure that the car is in good shape and winter-ready.
Fuel
When driving in winter, it is wise to ensure that you don't allow your car to run low on fuel. If you get caught in traffic or snow, your engine and heater can use a lot of fuel and you really don't want to see the tank indicator slipping into the red.
If you drive an electric car, keep the battery charged and check in advance where recharge points are available along your intended route.
Oil
The RAC says that one in every three vehicles they are called out to has insufficient oil. To keep your car running in winter, make sure that your oil filter is clean and your oil is the correct type and filled to the correct level. Your mechanic or car handbook will guide you on the specifics.
Coolant
Check levels and also make sure that the coolant in your car is appropriate for the expected temperature range. Sealed systems shouldn't need topping up, but there are no guarantees, so check anyway. As always, your handbook or mechanic will guide you.
Tyres
If there's a chance of snow or ice, then good traction is, very obviously, going to be even more important than it is during the rest of the year. Check that your tyres are in good order and correctly inflated. The recommended tyre pressures will be shown in your car's handbook and probably on a small metal plate riveted just inside the driver's door (you usually need to have the door open to see it).
The legal minimum tread depth for UK car tyres is 1.6mm. For winter driving, 3mm is recommended.
You are very unlikely to need specialist winter tyres in the UK unless you live somewhere that regularly experiences very low temperatures or heavy snowfall.
Battery
Batteries can have to work harder in winter. Make sure yours is in good condition.
A battery can be checked with a multimeter (QuikFit says a healthy battery should read between 12.4 Volts and 12.7 Volts). Alternatively, some cars have a better level readout and some accessories that plug into the car's cabin power outlet/cigar lighter have a voltage indicator.
Some automotive retailers offer free battery checks, but many motorists prefer to trust their own checks.
Screen wash and windscreen wipers
You can't drive if you can't see and windscreens can get very mucky very quickly during winter. Screenwash concentrate bottles (that blue stuff) will have instructions telling you how much you should dilute the concentrate at different times of year. For winter many products say not to dilute at all but just to use the product neat. Follow the maker's instructions: a frozen screenwash reservoir is no more useful than an empty one.
Check your wipers. It's a good idea to fit new blades ready for winter, as rubber can get brittle in very cold weather and if your wiper blades have the smallest split or crack in the rubber they are likely to break when used.
Also, make sure you clear snow and ice from your windscreen before turning on the wipers. Ice can ruin the blades and trying to clear heavy snow puts an extreme load on the wipers and wiper motors which can damage them.
Brakes
Get your fluid levels and brakes checked. This should go without saying but brakes become even more vital in winter than at other times. Slippery roads can cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. Ineffective brakes mean less chance of mitigating a slide or skid.
Lights
Winter is dark. Check your light bulbs and carry spares. If your headlights are LEDs then they are unlikely to fail, but you should still check carefully to ensure that all lights work as expected.
Heater
If this isn't working, you'll notice soon enough, but it's better to find out by testing it than by freezing in a snowdrift. Your heater not only keeps you warm, it also clears the inevitable condensation from your windscreen first thing in the morning.
By the way, don't leave junk on your dashboard where it can slide down and cover the de-mister vents. Even if your heater is working fine, it can't clear your windscreen if the vents are covered by parking machine tickets, cloths, gloves, and empty crisp packets.
Bodywork and chassis
Keep your car clean. Salt spread on the road can damage paintwork and accelerate corrosion of exposed metal. Wash the underside of your car as well as the parts you can see. Also clean around wheels and wheel arches.
Number plates
The roads get slushy and mucky in winter. Dirt splashes up and can quickly cover number plates. Check your plates and keep them clean. If number plates get so dirty that they cannot be easily read, you may be fined.
Preparation: supplies and equipment
When the winter weather is bad, journeys are often delayed by traffic conditions, and diversions and road closures due to flooding, fallen trees, burst water mains etc. When heavy snow falls, it is possible that most, if not all routes will experience some disruption.
Even if your car is well-prepared and capable of dealing with a fair bit of snow, it can still be delayed if other cars get stuck, break down or have accidents. If cars block roads, snow ploughs and gritters can't get through either, so things can deteriorate quickly.
In towns and cities, help and supplies may be close at hand. In rural and isolated areas, walking may not be a safe option. There may be nothing for miles, and even breakdown trucks and emergency vehicles can get stuck. These and other reasons mean that it's a good idea to make sure you'll be warm and comfortable if you do get stranded.
Here's a list of supplies that can make the delay a little less of an ordeal. Depending on where you live and drive, some of them could even save a life. It may be worth considering adding some of them to your winter in-car kit.
- Ice scraper and de-icer spray
- Mobile phone and in-car charger
- Powerbank
- Blankets
- If space is limited, camping stores sell silvery, foil-like emergency blankets that are cheap and fold down to pocket size.
- Rechargeable hand warmers
- Many can be charged by USB and will give many hours warmth
- Foldable camping spade/shovel
- Sacking or doormats to put under wheels spinning in snow or ice. A bag of cat litter can also help as grit for traction
- Drinking water
- Flask of tea/coffee/soup etc
- High calorie snacks
- Torch and/or emergency lantern
Preparation: yourself
It's common sense to wear clothing appropriate to the weather outside. Even if you think you're just going to pop somewhere in the car, wear or take clothing suitable for the conditions outside the car. If you break down, need to change a tyre, get stuck in snow or ice, or encounter someone else who is having one of those problems, you may well need to get out of the car.
Layer up. Wear waterproof shoes, a coat, a hat and gloves. Make sure you've eaten: low blood sugar can cause fatigue and slow reaction times, especially when it's cold. Stay hydrated.
Safe winter driving
Winter can mean rain, ice, snow, fog, wind and any combination thereof. Drive at an appropriate speed for the conditions, and allow extra distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Expect longer stopping distances.
Cold weather can make us feel tired or sleepy. Take breaks and do not drive if you feel drowsy.
Refresh your knowledge of how to safely regain control in case your vehicle skids. There are excellent demonstration videos on YouTube.
Have sunglasses with you. When the sun does reluctantly appear, it is lower in the sky during winter. Dazzling by sunlight is a surprisingly common contributing factor to accidents. Use your sun visors and mitigate dazzling with sunglasses. Keep your windscreen clean, as a dirt can be even harder to see through when bright sunshine illuminates it.
